The Jetta’s eye-catching styling complements its cachet as a German-engineered ride.

HISTORY

Since 1975, the Volkswagen Jetta’s conservative design has countered the similarly sized Golf hatchback’s more youthful nature, although both shared most of their mechanical and structural components.

A second-generation Jetta came along in the mid-1980s, followed by the Jetta III model in mid-1993 (The III suffix was dropped for 1994).

A fourth-generation Volkswagen Jetta sedan was launched in late 1998, with a wagon derivative joining the fleet in mid-2001.

An all-new fifth-generation 2006 sedan appeared in early calendar 2005, followed by the Jetta SportWagen for the 2009 model year.

A larger and lower-priced Jetta sedan showed up for the 2011 model year while the SportWagen carried on unchanged.

THE GOOD STUFF

Jetta offered high-quality German-engineered fit and finish at a far more affordable price than the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. It was also the largest Jetta to date, with plenty of passenger room and a particularly cavernous trunk.

Both the base 2.5-litre five-cylinder gasoline engine and the optional turbocharged 2.0- litre gasoline turbo provided lively acceleration, as did the clean-burning 2007-2010 turbo-diesel (TDI), which also provided excellent fuel economy. Base models arrived well equipped, while several available packages added considerable content but inflated the price tag.

HEADS UP!

The initial 100-horsepower turbo-diesel Jetta excelled at fuel efficiency, but it was terribly slow. A much better choice was the 140-horse TDI or any of the gasoline powerplants.

The Jetta’s other Achilles heel was its reputation for sub-par reliability and high repair costs. Wind noise around the front window pillar and door seals was also a problem.

Note that the sporty GLI offered excellent handling and flat high-speed-cornering grip, but at the expense of an extra-stiff ride.

The substantial size increase of the 2011 model is confirmation of the tight interior quarters of the 2006-2010 Jettas.

OVERALL

A well-maintained, low-mileage Jetta should make for entertaining city or highway driving. Its cavernous trunk is particularly useful on long trips. Turbo-diesel models have a reputation for fuel efficiency as well as long service life. The Jetta’s eye-catching styling complements its cachet as a German-engineered ride.